SERIOUSLY. This is what the crap Hollywood still puts out?

Not even bad in a good way

good back-story, and good acting

Absolutely the worst movie.

I liked this series from the first minutes. Jude Law is fascinating as Lenny, the first North American Pope, who is strange, charismatic, and arrogant. This is the Pope as a disruptor, and while such stories are often told in terms of opening the church (i.e. Going My Way), this follows the 21st century twist of disruption from the right; the hip, edgy, homophobic, harsh pope. The dialogue is sharp, the characters are detailed and complex, and the cinematography is slick and stylish.The series is also quite odd, often reminding me of Fellini in its surreal touches and the way it keeps viewers off balance. I was surprised that the user reviews I looked at didn't mention this; perhaps people just think the Catholic Church is so inherently weird that they take all the strange elements in stride, causing them to view this as a basic political drama when it strikes me as much more than that.Or did. The above is what I wrote after 4 or 5 episodes. But then I started losing interest. I found Lenny more and more awful, and the series became more about the politics than the weirdness; less Fellini, more House of Cards (which I don't like).Episodes 6 & 7 were such a slog that I simply gave up on the series after that. I just didn't care what happened to any of those people. If only the series had managed to wrap it up in 5 episodes I would give it 9 stars. At this point my 7 stars is probably overly generous.

Heads up: this series includes - several nude scenes - two simulated sex scenes (one homosexual) - additional homosexual scenesPros: interesting "study" of a supposed Pope who struggles with personal faith and with running the Roman Catholic Church. Not "must see", but "rarely boring".Cons: #1 - My primary complaint is that the Pope, Cardinals and other high-ranking Catholic figures seem unfamiliar with rather basic Roman Catholic doctrines, for example: - - the basic qualifications for sainthood - - papal infallibility#2 - Several additional unrealistic characteristics, such as - - the age of Sister Mary compared to the two orphans (supposed to be 10 years older but appears at least 30 years older) - - the Pope, upon spending considerable effort and time proving that a New York City archbishop is a homosexual child predator, relocates the archbishop to a town of 8,000 in Alaska where - to all appearances - the archbishop will be free to continue preying upon children for the rest of his life - - literally not knowing the meaning of the word "homosexual" (evinced by the man who investigates the homosexual child predator. He contends that the homosexual child predator is not a homosexual.) - - the Pope frequently in the presence of women - LOTS Of women - while at the Papal residence#3 - Several apparently missing (cut) scenes which are referred to in the story#4 - Several story "arcs" unresolved - - who killed the kangaroo? - - did the Pope's strategy succeed? - - Did the FEMEN just give up? etc.Some other problems. For example Sister Mary, VERY frequently shown playing basketball, is about the worst dribbler I've ever seen.Conclusion: though interesting, I object to the several inaccuracies regarding Roman Catholic Church doctrines, to the sex scenes and homosexual scenes, and to the so many failures in realism that I was frequently unable to suspend my disbelief.

I thoroughly enjoyed this series. If it were not for the nudity and sex scenes, (not vulgar but there), I would recommend my church to watch this. The story line is complex, but comes together at the end. The main focus I would say is to bring God to glory, and experience it with the Pope in his rise in faith and his love for God. He remains consistent in his faith, even if he does not realize or show it. A fallible human side is exposed. It is not a story about religion, or a religious story. Strong characters played by strong support actors, makes this story a must watch.

...Just as the people of Gotham wondered who Batman was, what made him what he was, I wonder who IS Pope Pius XIII. He is Machiavellian, he has no problems humiliating people such as the Italian prime minister, and boasting about it to a journalist, telling her the secret to humiliating someone is to not let them know they've been humiliated. Hardly Christ-like. After a young woman who had been barren spends time with the Pope and then becomes pregnant and gives birth, Pius visits the hospital where mother, father, and baby are. The parents have chosen the name "Pius" for the child and Lenny finds a way to insult the husband not once but twice, the last time calling the child "Pius XIV" to perhaps cast doubt on the child's paternity. Nope, there was no papal canoodling that produced this child ... but the husband acts unsure and Lenny/Pius picks up on it and needlessly exploits it. He gives his address to the cardinals and starts it with a knock knock joke but segues into a speech where he claims what was once open shall be hidden. He wants no compromise with the world, just fanatics for God, he wants being a Catholic to be hard work. He doesn't care if that means less followers. But Pius XIII is also Lenny Belardo, an orphan raised in a Catholic orphanage with Sister Mary (Diane Keaton) as a stand-in mother, although she warns him not to think of her that way. Actually Lenny was abandoned, and where his mother is and why she found him so disposable is never far from his mind nor far from his acts as pope. How did this happen? The conclave was split between choosing a conservative and liberal pope and picked Lenny as a compromise who they thought could be easily controlled. Ironically Lenny, as pope, has the word "compromise" banned from the cardinals' vocabulary. Besides this there is the cinematography, the acting, the way the delightful dialogue flowed in unexpected ways, and just how Lenny (and Jude Law) made it worth it all. We have the pope chain smoking, in shades, praying underwater for what seems an unnatural amount of time, raising the near dead as a teen and as pope striking down the exploitative while surrounded by 18 wheel trucks, both times with a silent prayer. What he said to God is all of ours to guess. We'll see about season two, but as long as they have Law on board it could be done. Bottom line is that it was a most enjoyably exacting and unique experience. I would be surprised if it does not get an Emmy nod, even if it is unlikely to win due to the views of the young pope. Try it. It will have you thinking about it each week and hoping for a Region One DVD release. I do, and I was raised a Baptist.